The Agony and the Ecstasy
by ShadowLullaby
Summary: BK.AU. In the midst of two warring kingdoms is a man who lusts for blood and a woman who will feed, damn and save him. At the heart of it all is a prophecy of seduction and inevitability that binds them as one.
1. Prologue

**The Agony and the Ecstasy**

**Prologue**

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Terror enveloped the castle. Darkness was everywhere. Overwhelming and deadly. People all around were panicking. All had one thought in their minds-SAVE THE EMPRESS. For thousands of years they had been fighting a battle with vampires. Monsters that craved for power. Monsters that drank the humanity right out of you. They had succeeded time and again in quenching the thirst of these beasts. Death becoming the inevitable solution. But now all thoughts of victory were forgotten. Because, just as the thunder and rain seemed to devour the night with their very existence, fear ate away at the people like a plague.

One of the creatures they had always persecuted was now loose in the palace and after their most prized treasure, the Empress Kamiya. The widowed ruler's reign had been the golden age all had been waiting for. The children loved her, the peasants adored her, and the nobles envied but respected her. The emperor had died 5 months ago, and, though the citizens still mourned his passing, they never failed to acknowledge the fact that his wife was more than they could ever hope for. And now, they would do everything to protect her. The hundreds of guards who were roaming the castle with murder in their minds and long, sharp stakes in their hands was proof of this. But slaughter was in the stars so slaughter there would be.

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Eight-year-old Tomoe held her mother's hand as she watched over her from the side of the bed. Kamiya was in pain. Perspiration slid down her oval face. Her usually perfect hair was now damp. And she was shaking her head from side to side as if trying to escape a horrible nightmare. The dark room was filled with moans of suffering. The screams outside were not heard here. Here there were only the sounds of a person battling against the agony of the flesh. Here the sinful moon cast terrifying shadows. It was like a cemetery. Depressing, yet so powerful. With only the anticipation of diminishment. Of loss. But what made things worse was that the woman was not yet dead, she was still struggling. She had to bear the unbearable. She knew she had to live. This was also written in Tomoe's eyes. Young as she was, she knew that her mother needed to survive.

But then she stopped moving. Stopped breathing. The young girl was suddenly extremely cold. She stood up quickly and rattled the woman. She didn't care if she was hurting her. She only wanted her to breathe again. "Mother, please," she begged. Her mind not registering what was happening. _I just have to wake her up._ She refused to shed tears. Crying meant defeat. She couldn't deal with that. She **_would not_** deal with that. So she kept on rattling her. Over and over again. "Mother, you're scaring me," she said tearfully. "I don't want you to leave. I don't." She shook her harder.

Then, as if an angel of mercy came down to save her, the Empress took a huge gulp of air and started coughing. "Oh. Thank God," the child shuddered. But her relief was short-lived because Kamiya instantly clutched her hand painfully.

"Tomoe….I..need…a doctor..now," she pleaded. Her voice sounded horrible. Desperate.

But they both knew that that wasn't possible. Tomoe stood transfixed. The woman below her was now writhing in pain. The ruler's hand left her daughter's and clutched the silky bedspread. Her body tried to endure that which what was not meant to be endured. But if she lost it now there would only be heartache in the end.

All the little girl could do was watch, her heart throbbing with sympathy, rage and uncertainty. This stayed this way for what seemed like an eternity. Like a horrible vision that refused to be dispelled. Then Kamiya's body started shivering violently, the bed creaking beneath her again and again. Tomoe immediately bent down and grabbed hold of her mother's arm in a vain attempt to still her. The child briefly wished for someone to help her. She had never felt so alone in her entire life. Like she and her mother existed in a parallel universe. A universe where everything was different.

Just when she thought she couldn't hold on much longer. The ruler stopped. But this was worse because her eyes were wide and glass. They held fear. Tomoe had never seen her afraid. Not even once. But she was now. She was so still it seemed she refused to move. Like something was coming. In the blink of an eye, Kamiya got out of bed and, with her hand on the little child's mouth, dragged Tomoe to a dark corner of the room. A corner where the shadows were worse. Where they seemed to dance all around, singing a soundless song that could drive a person crazy when he or she heard too much of it. The song of silence. But the girl wasn't paying attention to all of these. She stared transfixed at her mother.

The Empress was crying. Tears were sliding down her face one after the other. Kamiya opened her mouth, and when she spoke, her voice was steady despite her expression. It was music to Tomoe's ears. She never thought she'd hear her mother speak again. Not in this soft, calm voice. But the moment she was able to register what was being said to her, she knew she had been misled, because the words brought no comfort with them. Only despair so great it left her numb.

"Tomoe, I need you to stay here. And, no matter what happens, don't do anything because this is a dream…" She could feel her mom embracing her. It was a painful embrace. A desperate one. She heard the voice again. "…and when the sun appears, you'll wake up. "She suddenly felt cold Kamiya had let go of her and was staring into her eyes. "I need you to be strong. Remember, Darkness disappears only when there is light." And with those words the monarch left her. Father and farther across the room she went, until she finally stopped at the center.

"Mother, what are you waiting for?" the girl whispered. Somehow she was filled with dread. The great ruler's features showed sick acceptance. Then, just like the storm after the calm, all the windows burst open, and wind rushed into the room, like a silent and deadly assassin. The impact was so great that Tomoe was knocked down. When she opened her eyes again, her mother was leaning against a man with very long teeth, and blood was trailing down her throat. The child was paralyzed. She was suspended in time staring at something that wasn't real. Something that couldn't be real.

Then the door was pushed open. People everywhere started filling the chamber. But the little child was sinking into unconsciousness, saying, "…It's just a dream…" over and over again.

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AN: I forgot to tell you, the title comes from a movie I watched with my cousins.**


	2. The Prophecy

**Author's Notes: Hey guys! I'm back. Thank you so much for the reviews. I'm hoping to see more. Why did it take me so long? The plot. I wanted to spice it up a bit. Don't know if I've succeeded. Thankfully, I have you guys to tell me. This chapter is basically the intro to the story. I'll try to add more action in the future ones. Ok, I'll stop talking now. 'Til the next update!**

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The Agony and the Ecstasy

**Chapter 1: The Prophecy**

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Take me into you

The horizon shall shimmer its vow

Sunder me with finality

And finality we shall see

Hundreds will rise

Thousands shall fall

In me, they will seek

In you, they shall find

Dust will return to dust

Blood shall mingle with blood

Death will follow death

Scourge humanity, long for shadows

In the twilight, be forever heard

With the wave of a maiden

Silence once more

She is the vow

And yet she is not

* * *

The dark-haired woman looked outside her window. Her people dotted the fields below. All were working or just plainly moving around. Their voices and laughter indicated the life inside them. The day was bubbling with energy. She could practically feel it beckoning to her, announcing the birth of each new day. It was alive. Bright. Shining. The girl sighed and turned away from the scene, closing her eyes in frustration. She couldn't bring herself to look any longer.

_Dust will return to dust. Blood shall mingle with blood. Death will follow death._ It took a second for her to register what she had just thought and fiercely berate herself. _I can't allow myself to be weak. There's no time. _With another sigh, she walked across the room and stopped at the foot of her bed where a huge wooden chest stood. It was plain except for the crimson ruby that was fixed on its upper center. She extended her arms and lifted the lid open. Memories of the past revisited her. It still haunted her. Up to now. _I will never be able to escape it. Even though I remember nothing. Absolutely nothing._ She clenched her hands. She could feel her fingers dig into her palms. She had to force herself to relax. Returning to the present time, she could see books and papers, dresses and little trinkets. All were arranged inside the chest. Her gaze lingered on a letter. A worn, crumpled letter. With a bang, she shut the lid.

_It's been nineteen years since I lost my mother._ Her sister had been taken from her 10 years after. _And now I'm all alone._

* * *

_"I want those flowers," the four-year-old child said harshly, jumping as much as her pinching pink shoes would allow her to. She held back tears as she realized the futility of what she was doing. Her sister was just too tall._

_"Well, you can't have them. I happen to adore them too."_

_The taller girl danced around her, waving the violet and yellow flowers high up in the air. They spent several minutes running around each other in that irritating and affectionate way only siblings perfected. They continued to race around the fields beside their home. Sunset was near and everything was slightly golden. After a while, they both stopped dead tired. Their breathing came in short, abrupt gasps. As a final act of desperation, the younger girl kicked the knee of the other as hard as she could_

_"Ouch!"_

_She caught the falling flowers and zoomed towards the palace and they resumed chasing after one another giggling._

* * *

The woman allowed the phantom visions to fade away. "Tomoe," she whispered. Her head turned swiftly as she heard a knock on the door. She rose gracefully from the ground, not even aware that she sank down to it a minute ago. "Come in," she said smoothly.

Looking pale and visibly terrified, her chief adviser went inside. "Your Highness, you must come quick…our villagers..our villagers……are.."

He could say no more. His eyes merely stared at her. She moved soundlessly out the room, the trembling man right behind her. Outside, she was calm and rigid with only the crinkling of her eyes betraying her. Inside, she felt fire. The kind that hurt and burned. The kind that left you screaming. _What is it this time?_ She proceeded through the vast hallway and down the long flight of stairs towards the chamber where all the more gruesome aspects of the kingdom were dealt with.

When she entered, everyone stood up to acknowledge her presence. A huge table, which stood at the center, divided her subjects. It was obvious that they had been expecting her. But she didn't pay attention to any of them. Her eyes were drawn to the corner of the room, where something lay hidden beneath a white, silk sheet. Its form was oddly disfigured. The room was dark and only the golden chandelier above them served as the source of light. The warmth it provided was not warmth at all, but something that felt sinister, clinging to them, obstructing their every move. She moved slowly as she made her way towards it. Each step seemed agonizing. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought she would explode any second. Noise would have helped. It would have made things seem normal. But no one was moving. No one was breathing. They were just watching. And waiting.

She stopped just beside the figure, but she didn't cast aside the cloth. _My mind is telling me to look and be brave. My heart is begging me to walk away. Under this disguise is the horror I run from each night in my dreams. I can feel it. I know it._

"What has befallen us now," she said instead.

Once again, it was her chief adviser who addressed her. His words were shaking so much they were hard to understand. "The vam..pires have… struck again, milady. This time..no…non..none..of the villagers…c..can..tell us..wh..what trans..pired.."

"How is this so?" she replied. Spellbound. Knowing but not knowing. She was still looking at the hidden image, sure that it was going to start moving as soon as she turned her back.

"Because they're dead. All of them. Every person in the first four villages except the women," came the easy and strong voice of a youthful man somewhere behind her.

That was when she began shuddering. It started with her hands and spread all over. Suddenly she was cold. So very, very cold. _Stop! Don't say it!_

But the voice continued. "All the bodies were sucked dry, mutilated in fact. Bones everywhere. Blood dripping all over the houses. The smell of carnage is overwhelming, Your Highness. All the men and children were massacred, the life practically drained right out of them…and the women..the women…," it was the first time a hint of bitterness was heard, "they have all been taken away probably to that hell-hole of theirs for God knows what."

Nothing was spoken after this report. All eyes were fixed upon her. But she wasn't capable of any response, not even a grunt or a shrug. Or a tear. She just stood there. Time was holding her still. The eyes of sorrow looked upon her with no words of comfort or solace. It simply swallowed her and refused to let her go. She did not struggle. She allowed whatever it was to leave her empty and unmoving.

"Your Majesty…" The voice of one of her ministers woke her from her reverie.

Instead of the eerie inactivity she had been experiencing a while ago, terror and instinct became one, resulting to different emotions of varying intensity-all sliced through her. Throwing caution and rationality to the wind, she pulled the cloth aside. The loudest and most terrible scream filled her ears. She wheeled around and faced the astonished group.

"Who screamed!" she asked, practically shouting.

"Umm…no one did, Highness."

The people were divided into two - those looking at her, frightened by her state; and those gawking openly at the corpse.

_Of course no one screamed. It was you. Beneath your skin._ Instantly, the image revisited her and her heart began to race even more. She was sweating all over and was looking at the ground. No one minded. All of them were one in their reaction. Disgust. Despair. Try as she might, she couldn't push out what she just saw. It was like a moment of suspended horror, which just went on and on.

The lifeless body seemed to be that of a man. He was completely drained of all fluids and it was as if his body was just a pale, lifeless lump of flesh. His eyes were purely white and bulging to the point of almost falling out of their sockets. He had no arms or legs and was covered entirely in some green jelly, which obscured him from direct view. If that wasn't bad enough, the hollow space that used to be his mouth was open as if still screaming for his life. It was brutality personified. Her very bones felt sickened.

"Why was he brought here? Why couldn't you merely inform me?" Her voice was filled with suppressed anger.

It was a cowardly thing to say, but she had been caught unaware. She awaited their answers silently, feeling beyond outraged. It was all she could do to keep from hitting every face there. Clearly, her reaction surprised her audience and it took a while before one of her knights answered.

"We knew you would want to learn the full extent of the monsters' latest escapade, Empress. We felt that the only way you could fully grasp the situation was if we presented you with one of their victims to show that their animosity towards us has reached its peak."

Unbelievably, what he said made her feel a million times worse. Her temper flared like a volcano and she felt herself explode. The words were out before she even had time to process them.

"Don't you think I know that! God! I've known for years now! Are you trying to tell me that I still need your push in order to take the necessary measures?" She turned furious eyes at her subjects. "I have been trying. We all have. So don't insult me by implying that I'm doing less than what I should. Bringing that man here was both unnecessary and rude."

Her voice was as steely and forceful as that of a defensive child and her outburst echoed throughout the walls. Everyone was dumbstruck for a few seconds.

After the confusion passed, nervousness and hesitation settled in. As the silence expanded longer and longer, she found that she could no longer stand the expressions on their faces. To her eyes, they held equal portions of disappointment, pity, and disbelief. She began shaking again and, before she could do another crazy thing, she took a deep breath and spoke as steadily as she could.

"I want the number of guards watching the six other villages doubled. All the knights should be alerted and told that I am personally requesting them to train as many able-bodied men as they can. All the sorcerers and sorceresses should be informed of the need to increase the power of the protective walls surrounding our land. As for the vampires," she paused to breath, "…I'm sorry to say that we can do nothing for now. We must and shall concentrate on defensive strategies. Our kingdom still does not have the means to defeat them or to risk open war…and..and all the villagers should be buried as honorably as possible. We will rescue the women as soon as a sufficient number of soldiers is gathered, which should be no later than tomorrow at dawn."

All were nodding and agreeing with her. They were apparently trying to appease her, eager to move past the awkward incident a while ago.

"I must ask you now to leave and let me be, for I have a lot of issues to ponder on." Her last words rang of authority and they had no choice but to slowly clear out of the room.

She watched her advisers, ministers, knights, and nobles with a heavy heart and a disturbed mind. She was entirely captured by her thoughts that she almost failed to realize that one person did not leave. The man who told her what happened when her adviser seemed to be stumbling all over his words was now looking at her from across the room.

"Soujirou…"

"Don't you think rest would be the best thing for you now?" he asked, arching his eyebrow.

"What's best for me is to put an end to all of this." She leaned against the nearby table, now feeling free enough to relax. He always had this effect on her. As if him being there made her breathe normally again.

"You don't know how this is making me feel. You don't understand."

That was when the hopelessness of the situation struck her, and the impact was so strong and sudden that, the next thing she knew, tears were rolling down her cheeks. She immediately looked down again. The dampness of the room agreed with her. It was as bleak and cold as she was. She wished she could just freeze to death. _There you go again. Trying to run away._

It wasn't long before she heard footsteps and she felt herself engulfed in warmth and comfort. He said nothing. He merely held her. They stayed this way for a long time. She neither sobbed nor screamed. She just cried with her shoulders shaking ever so often. She cried not for herself, but for the people who died because of her incompetence. She cried because of the danger and havoc she knew would come. She cried because the vampires were clawing their way to the kingdom's throne bit by bit. When she finally calmed down, she didn't break away from his embrace.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear. Surprisingly, he pulled away from her, took her chin in his right hand, and forced her to look him in the eye.

"This is not your fault."

She tried to protest, but he leveled her with a look that made her clamp her mouth shut. The devastation around them contrasted with his handsome face that was both childlike in its intensity and innocence.

"I want you to listen," he continued, "You have been an exceptional leader. A strong one. It's the fact that you're here with us that makes us so thankful. But you're not God and you can't control all that you wish to control. We know that. It's time for you to realize that too."

As he said this, all she could do was stare at him. Despite herself, she felt a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"You really have a way with words." This time, it was his turn to smile.

But then she was serious again. She pulled herself away from his arms. "You're right. I am a ruler and, because I am one, I am destined to save my people even when every part of me is exhausted to the point of total breakdown. The time I stop trying is the time I take my last breath."

Admiration shone through his beautiful eyes. Admiration tainted with regret. He shook his head sadly. "It will take a miracle."

"Then a miracle we shall find."

He looked at her earnestly. "Do you mean the one prophesized?"

"Yes," she said with finality. She studied him.

"Why?" she asked, "Are you starting to lose faith?"

Her eyes pleaded with him. She needed to know that there was at least one person who still believed in salvation. She needed him to still have hope. He stared at her for a long while, hesitant to answer, and then he spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I have lost faith in the prophecy, but I have never lost faith in you. If you say we will be saved, then I will do everything I can to make that come true for you."

Her face cleared and she, once again, gave in to his embrace. "What would I do without you?" she asked him softly.

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Author's Notes: So? What do you think? Anyway, Kenshin will be appearing in the next chap and I just want to clear things up - this is not about a vampire slayer.**


	3. Dark Advent

**Author's Notes: Ok. I hope you like this chap. Kenshin appears for the first time and he and Kaoru finally meet. This is a Kenshin and Kaoru fic. I really really want to make this dark, but I'm not sure if I'm succeeding. Oh well, got time for more darkness in the future. **

**Thank you so much to all the reviewers. I'm so sorry to say that this does not have an update schedule. I do want to add new chapters as soon as possible, but I'm very busy with school, so there's no definite update pattern. Gomen ne. Please R&R coz I live for your reviews. **

**Unfortunately, I do not own RK..WAAH!**

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The Agony and the Ecstasy

**Chapter 2: Dark Advent**

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She found herself looking outside her window yet again. This time instead of the flurry of people present before, stars adorned the velvet sky. Their brightness practically burned her eyes. Each mesmerized her. Each held the promise of a brighter tomorrow. _So beautiful._

"There you go again," a gentle voice behind her said.

She smiled as she recognized the owner. "How long have you been there?"

"You know how long. Why do you need to ask?" She heard amusement in that easy voice and she smiled again.

"Merely checking. I fear I haven't been myself lately."

"How come?" Soujirou was now beside her, also looking outside.

"Because of everything."

"We already talked about this," he stated.

"I know," she began, "but-"

"No buts," he interrupted. She looked at him.

She nodded. "Alright, no buts."

They just stood there for a while. Each waiting for the other to speak.

"Soujirou, have you ever felt out of place?"

He turned towards her and looked at her with worry. "I have. But what makes you think you're out of place?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I just do. It's actually very strange. I know I should belong here since it's the only place I could ever think of calling home… but, sometimes, I think I don't know what home is…sometimes, I don't even know if I have one." She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts, wondering if she should continue. She took a deep breath. "It's like this constant ringing inside of me and I can usually ignore it, but I can never forget it."

Saying this made her feel worse and better all at the same time. If it weren't for the fact that he was Soujirou, she would never have opened this up. But they had known each other for years now and he had never disappointed her. Not even once. And she knew he wouldn't start now. All throughout her speech, he just listened with an odd expression on his face. For a minute, she wondered if she had been right to tell him this. After what seemed like an eternity, he spoke at last.

"I'll tell you what," he said, moving so close to her that she could actually feel the warmth underneath his clothes, "You can lend me yourself for a while and, when you finally find your home, you can take yourself from me." He stopped, making sure she was paying attention. "I'll be your temporary keeper," he concluded.

She was dumbfounded.

"My temporary keeper?"

He grinned. "That is correct, Highness. And I promise you that, no matter how much I'll grow to adore you, I'll give you back when you ask me to." She began laughing.

"That is the sweetest thing I've ever heard."

He looked at her hurt. "I was serious," he said childishly.

She stopped laughing, but was still smiling. "And so was I."

Their eyes met. Without thinking, she gave in to weakness, leaned forward and kissed him, trying to show him how much she appreciated his efforts to make her feel better. She pulled away after a second and pressed her forehead against his. She could feel her heart beating faster in anticipation, not used to making the first move. His eyes had clouded over and he was looking at her in surprise. Soujirou's lips broke into a grin.

A second hadn't even passed when he placed his left hand on the back of her head and the other on her waist and pulled her in for another kiss. Even as she tried to contain herself, she knew it was no use. The kiss was hot and sweet and both were aware of only the friction between their lips and the feel of each other's skin. His right hand pressed her closer and moved slowly up and down her spine, making her shiver in excitement. She felt her entire body tingle and the stars and troubles outside were forgotten. Already, she could feel the oxygen in her lungs running out, but she refused to break away, willing time to adjust so that they could have this moment prolonged. It was not long however, before they had to pull apart, both out of breath. She was still holding on to his arms.

When they were finally able to collect themselves, they regarded in amusement the flushed condition of both their faces.

"Your Highness, I just love it when you take matters into your own hands," he said sheepishly, smirking.

She pretended to look appalled and playfully swatted him. "Address me like that again, Knight, and the next one won't be so weak."

They stared at each other and then suddenly burst out laughing. That was when her aunt entered her room and their heads turned immediately. When she saw her mother's sister, she was filled with a tidal wave of relief.

"Auntie, you've returned," she said, running to her with open arms. Kasumi had been a second mother to her and Tomoe when they were younger and she still was to her up to now. Kasumi had been away on a diplomatic trip and, now that her aunt was back, she knew that things were bound to get better.

"How's my little ruler?" she said, embracing her niece.

"A little better. Were you informed of what happened?"

Her aunt's face suddenly became very dark. "Yes, I was and it's simply horrible. I'm terribly sorry."

At the sound of her aunt's voice, she was again confronted with sadness and desperation.

"I know you are," she said softly, "I only hope we can rise above this."

Kasumi looked at her worriedly. "We will sweetheart. We will." She looked away from her niece and saw Soujirou.

"Good evening, Soujirou."

"Good evening, milady," he said respectfully.

"I trust that you've been taking care of my niece for me."

"I've been trying to. She's a very stubborn woman."

Kasumi smiled, "How true."

"Excuse me! I resent that," she exclaimed, pretending to glare at them, "I happen to be very well-mannered."

"Well, then you can show us just how well-mannered you are by entertaining our guests."

She was startled. "Guests?"

"Yes, my dear, advisers of the kingdom of Stalia. They've come to offer their help."

She stood frozen for a minute, not sure if she heard correctly, then her face broke into a huge grin.

"That's wonderful news!" In a burst of emotion, she embraced Kasumi once again. _Everything's going to go back to normal. Everything's going to be fine. _

"Soujirou and I will go before you so you can take the time to think about how you are going to deal with our guests. We'll be awaiting you inside the blue antechamber."

She gave her niece one last affectionate squeeze and went outside with Soujirou following her.

"Don't take too long," he said, winking.

Then the door was shut and she was left all alone to think about the glorious news. _There's still hope._

"There's still hope," she repeated, this time aloud.

For the first time in a long while, she finally felt it. She had never lost hope, but it had hid itself until now. Taking a deep breath, she quickly went outside. She didn't need to think about what she was going to say, she already knew.

* * *

From the moment she walked into the hall, she knew something was wrong. The hallway outside was dark and freezing, which was weird considering the fact that she always preferred the castle to be bright. But she ignored that and continued to walk. After a minute, she began wondering why she had never noticed just how frightening the palace was at night. The pathway was very long and nothing but large windows surrounded her, each capable of presenting horror. Try as she might, every noise and every movement seemed to have lives of their own. With every passing second, she grew increasingly aware of the shadows around her as they grew bigger and bigger with each movement. _Don't let your imagination get the best of you. _

Every step seemed to cause the floor to scream. Her heart started to race. _Don't be afraid. Don't think. Just walk. Walk._ Strangely enough, the faster she moved and the closer she got, the worse she felt. Her head and heart were on fire, but her body was shivering. It was as if a twisted force was calling to her, pulling her away from consciousness, and she couldn't handle it. _Any moment now. Just go on. _As she took her next step, she felt her senses go wild and her back arched backward.

_**YOU ARE MINE! **_

Her unconscious form met the cold ground and nothing came after that.

_**

* * *

Noooooo!**_

The red-haired man looked up. His skillful eyes searched the surroundings, positive he'd heard a woman scream. Much to his confusion, the hallway was as silent as it used to be.

* * *

Her world was spinning around her and all she could see were multicolored stars that swirled on and on and on. Her body was cold, but her head was strangely warm and it was leaning against something soft. When she refocused, she found herself staring into disturbing amber eyes.

_I've found you. _

The sudden thought made her frown and she shook her head violently, making her headache worse. Struggling for a hold on reality, she once again concentrated on those eyes. They were very weird eyes. The face of the owner soon followed and she saw that her companion had the most dangerously handsome face she had ever seen. She just looked at him silently, still very dazed and disoriented.

"Are you alright?" he asked. His voice was deep and indifferent and she felt it go through her faster than lightning.

"I'm fine," she tried to assure him.

She attempted to rise but she did so so quickly that her head started spinning again and she found herself falling once more. With unbelievably smooth reflexes, he caught her head without even blinking.

"Maybe you should lie down for a while." That voice again.

"I'm fine," she repeated, not comfortable with lying against him, a complete stranger.

Ignoring his warning, she tried standing once more; this time, more cautiously and with him supporting her. She stood still for a while, waiting for her posture to become steady again. She was still a little bruised, but at least she was conscious. When she was sure that she could walk normally again, she faced her rescuer and gave him a warm smile though she was still shaking inside. When her gaze landed on him for the second time, her eyes started to sting. Something about him unnerved her. What made it worse was that she didn't know why.

"Thank you," she said, trying to take in as much of him as she could without seeming rude. "I don't know what happened. One moment, I was walking. The next, I'm down on the floor. I really do apologize for the inconvenience."

She waited for him to say something, but he just looked at her. As if he was the one waiting for her to talk. As the silence become more and more oppressive, she struggled to come up with something to say.

"I haven't seen you around here," she started shyly, "You must be a visitor." She stopped, her eyes trying to urge him to reply. Nothing. "Well, not to worry because I know this castle from top to bottom and if you need anything, anything at all, I'll be happy to assist you."

She looked at him with an expression she hoped was friendly and tried to appear unaffected by him and his lack of words. Once again, dead air. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. She almost jumped when he spoke.

"Thank you, but I think I'll manage just fine. I hope you don't mind, but I have matters to attend to."

He gave her a small bow, turned around and walked swiftly out of her sight. As she watched his shoulders saunter away, her cheeks flared a deep crimson.

"Hummph…be that way," she said to no one in particular, sticking her tongue out at the long gone man.

_For Kami's sake, you're a ruler now. Stopbehaving so childishly._ She quickly stopped herself from doing something even more embarrassing and proceeded to her original destination with thoughts of the incident still on her mind. His presence had overshadowed her collapse, but now that he was gone, she was finally able to remember it. _What happened? And who was he?_

When she entered the chamber, all her subjects stood up. She was still wrapped in a world of her own, a world where the mysterious man was the main character. The colorful lights did little to rouse her from her daydream. _I must stop thinking about what happened. I have enough to worry about as it is._ Despite her self-lectures, she felt herself going back to her fantasies._ Stop thinking! _She walked all the way across the red carpet, mindlessly nodding to anybody. When she reached her throne, she soundlessly sat down and wanted to present a semblance of stability so she scanned the crowd for the new arrivals. Even _he_ could not make her forget her kingdom's situation. She saw Soujirou among her knights and he smiled at her encouragingly. She found herself inexplicably relaxing and leaned a little on the back of her chair. She looked at her aunt who was sitting beside her.

"Are they here, auntie?"

"Yes, dear, in fact, I think you're about to be introduced."

She heard a trumpet blaring and two names were called out. "Presenting Sir Himura Kenshin and Lady Susuki Sayami," the page announced.

When she turned her head towards her guests. They were already kneeling before her. Her gaze zeroed in on a familiar shade of red hair. _It's him!_ Her eyes widened a little as a jolt of recognition shot through her and, before she could school her features into one of neutrality, he looked up and saw her staring at him. His eyes caught hers for a moment and then immediately looked away as if nothing had happened. _Kenshin._

The woman beside him did the speaking. As she looked at her, the corner of her eye still on Kenshin, she noticed that the girl was actually very pretty. Just like him, her head had been down a minute ago. But when she started speaking, she brought her face up and gave the ruler an amiable smile.

"Thank you for meeting with us, Your Highness," she said, her voice cheerful yet serious.

With the discipline she had acquired over the years, she forced herself to forget this momentary revelation and responded to the Sayami's words.

"On the contrary, it is we who should be thanking you." She gave her a sincere smile and continued, "Our people cannot even begin to express how grateful we are to Stalia for willingly helping us even when your kingdom has no need to do so."

Sayami lowered her eyes and dropped her voice respectfully, "We have heard so much about your benevolence that our conscience compelled us to help a monarch as giving as yourself."

She beamed at this, but her eyes darkened the second after. "You have no idea how happy we are to hear that and I am most embarrassed to say that your aid is needed immediately."

"Are you referring to the vampires taking your women?" the dark voice beside Sayami asked.

His voice momentarily struck her unsure, but only for a fraction of a second. Even while he looked at her, she already felt that unfamiliar humming inside her. She didn't like it. She didn't like that his eyes were now upon her. She didn't like the fact that it actually bothered her.

"Yes, I'm referring to that. Though I know it seems extremely abrupt, we have no choice in the matter. We wish to rescue them as soon as possible." She was extremely thankful that her voice did not come out shaky.

"Forgive me, Your Highness, but how do you know that they have not yet been disposed of." He looked her straight in the eye.

Despite herself, she felt the familiar signs of anger and tried to control herself immediately.

When she spoke again, she sounded sterner. "I understand if you have hesitations. But we _will_ rescue our women whether they are dead or alive."

His features changed somehow and he finally backed down with a nod. "We don't mean to anger you. We only want to proceed with caution and certainty."

She felt herself smile, "As do we all, but, considering the situation, we have no other options."

It was Sayami who spoke again. "You have our full support."

"Thank you," she whispered, just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

Both did not miss her tone of gratitude. She and Kenshin caught each other's eye once more and, this time, it was she who looked away. His gaze did not waver.

* * *

It was now several hours after the meeting and she was in her room with Soujirou, talking about everything that had happened.

"You were right, everything is going to be alright," he said, smiling.

"Yes, it is." She tried to return the smile, but found that her lips wouldn't permit her.

His eyes immediately grew concerned. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm just anxious about tomorrow."

"I thought we've decided that everything's going to be fine?"

"We have," she said, looking at him from across the room. She shook her head, placing the palm of her hand on her forehead. "I don't what's wrong with me."

"Do you have any worries regarding our new allies?" Soujirou probed.

"No, of course not," she replied, "What's to worry about?"

"Exactly. They appear to be genuine. Lady Sayami is very approachable and Sir Himura seems gentlemanly enough." He raised his eyebrow meaningfully when he mentioned Kenshin's name and she was momentarily taken aback. She felt her heart drop.

"What are you trying to imply?"

Soujirou chuckled. "Nothing, Empress. Nothing." He wasn't angry. _Why should he be?_ She felt her chest relax.

"Why Soujirou, don't tell me you're jealous?" she responded, placing her hand on her hip.

Smiling, he crossed the short distance between them and swooped down to plant a quick kiss on her lips. She heard herself sigh.

"I'm not," he assured her. His expression was so serious that she felt herself tense.

Then his face broke into a grin. "Besides, I happen to know that I am the only one you have eyes for." He bent quickly to avoid her punch.

"You are so arrogant," she said, pretending to be outraged.

"Well this arrogant knight is telling you to sleep,"

"Must you go so soon?"

"I'm afraid I have to. The soldiers need me with them when they organize themselves for the rescue mission."

A dark shadow descended upon her face again. "I'm coming with you."

"You can't," he responded immediately.

"And why is that? I know how to fight. I'm quite capable of defending myself. I want to be there with the rest of you."

"Maybe so, but you are not going to engage in any wars while I am still here to engage in them for you. Besides, the kingdom needs you right now."

As much as she hated it, she couldn't help but admit that he was right.

"Okay," she grudgingly submitted.

"Now go to sleep. I want you to let me handle this."

She nodded her approval. "But I'm going to see you off."

"I already knew you would." He kissed her briefly once more and turned to leave.

"Soujirou." He turned.

"Be careful."

He grinned. "I will. I'll see you in a few hours."

"In a few hours," she agreed. She strained to take in every part of his face. From the way his lips were always curled up to how his lashes fell across his eyes when he blinked.

"Sweet dreams, Empress." She was gripped with a sudden ominous sensation. It seemed so final.

When he left the room, she stood staring at the door. _Why is it that I feel so uneasy? _Shaking the thought away, she quickly prepared for bed. She knew she should have told him about her collapse, but she didn't want him to worry. And she didn't want _herself_ to worry. _It was nothing_. _I was just tired._ After a few minutes, she was finally ready. As she sank into her soft bed, she felt fatigue take her over and she found herself slowly pulled into oblivion.

* * *

Himura Kenshin sat rigidly on the chair beside his bed. He had no intention of sleeping tonight. There were things to be done. Things that did not include sleep. Sayami walked towards him, her stride as graceful and swift as that of a panther.

"What are you thinking of," she asked softly.

"Things," he replied automatically. He stood and walked away, moving towards the door.

"Where are you going?" He could hear her voice fill with confusion.

"Outside." He looked at her as if daring her to object.

"Okay," she relented, sensing his irritation.

She threw her hair back and Kenshin watched it slide smoothly down her shoulders. Suddenly, brown hair turned to black and his eyes crinkled in alarm. A second later, it was brown again. Noticing the break in his normally stony face, she looked at him in concern. But then it was gone. He turned his back, about to leave the room.

"Don't forget," she said hurriedly, "It must happen tonight."

"I know."

* * *

In her chamber, the queen was not having a peaceful sleep. She had been tossing and turning all night. Her face twisted in agony as dreams savagely overwhelmed her. They tore into her over and over again and all she could do was to surrender to them.

"Mother…"

_She was running. Running across a vast room with nothing surrounding her but the pressing cold walls. Terror pounded inside her. She was looking for something. Searching. The darkness would not leave her. Water suddenly flooded the room. The raging current strove to drown her. It was fast. Deadly. Seductive. Then she saw herself. But it was not her. It was her mother._

_She was choking. Her hands tore at the surface. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Underwater, she could see something moving towards her. She tried to run. Tried to fight the effect the water was having on her. But it was holding her still. Refusing to let her go. The thing was beside her. And she felt it press against her and envelop her lips. She struggled against it. Struggled with the ferocity of a beast. She knew she was going to die. She knew she would feel the cold seep into her skin any minute now. But even as everything left her, all she was aware of was passion. And heat. **Let me go!**_

In an instant, she was no longer in her bed. It was empty with nothing but the crumbled sheets to indicate the turmoil that had gone on seconds ago. The clocked ticked, the windows rattled, and the rain poured down the entire kingdom as if trying to wash away all the sins and grief. But there was no sign of the queen. She was gone. Only her scent remained.

* * *

Kenshin traveled through the same hallway he had hours ago. But he knew he was far deeper into the castle. He knew because now all he heard was rain. Rain that beat incessantly. Outside and within. It was all that he was aware of and it was the mystic music that guided him through the blackness. His steps were light and every part of his being felt awake.

The night had come. The night that always shadowed him. Protected him. Became him. His movement unexpectedly stopped. A few yards away, the lithe form of a woman was exposed to him. He could see her as clearly as he could feel the wind flirt with his bare skin. He stood and watched her, amber eyes glinting.

* * *

She opened her eyes and was frozen. She felt her nightgown being blown away from her body. Her hair was flying in haphazard directions. But she was like a statue, staring at a vision. A vision of a yesterday that continued to haunt her. A vision of her dream. In front of her was a portrait of beautiful woman, smiling radiantly, as if all of the sun resided in her. She was not yet fully awake and, when she reached out to touch it, she was in a daze. She obediently closed her eyes when she felt spirit-like fingers caress her cheeks and unconsciously leaned towards the painting.

"Good evening."

The illusion shattered into a million pieces around her, and she recoiled in shock. With wide eyes, and her left hand on her chest, she turned to face her intruder. And she ceased to breathe.

"I'm sorry if I startled you, Your Majesty."

She continued to stare at him. Embarrassment and disbelief mingling into one. Embarrassment because of being caught in such a situation. Disbelief because_ he_ was the one who caught her. He was exactly as she remembered him, but something was different. Something seemed to hang over him while he stood there in the shadows, his face partially hidden, a mixture of shades and beams.

"Did I frighten you," he asked, still without a hint of emotion.

She quickly regained herself and tried to arrange her features into something more appropriate. "No, you didn't. I'm afraid I'm feeling a little strange right now."

"I'm sorry," he repeated, coming closer.

She forced herself to stay still even when he was right beside her, looking at the portrait. For once, she didn't mind being silent. It seemed to her that this man wouldn't mind either. Both of their eyes were fixed upon the woman. The whole castle seemed to dissolve and all that existed was that tiny space they were standing on. Everything about this night drew her.

She was surprised to hear his voice so soon. "The famous Empress Kamiya."

She looked at him in mild surprise. "You knew her?"

"Everyone knew her."

"Oh," she exclaimed, feeling stupid. "She was my mother," she whispered, "She died and I was born on an evening exactly like this one."

His body shifted and she felt herself stiffen.

"Your Highness…"

"My name's Kaoru."

"Kaoru." Absolute stillness.

He was still looking at the portrait. _She_ was still looking at it.

Kaoru felt a presence approach them and they both turned automatically. Slowly, a figure emerged from the darkness.

"Lady Sayami," she uttered.

But Sayami had changed. In fact, she had turned into a completely different person. It was the same face. The same eyes. And yet they were obscured. Twisted. Her senses went into overdrive.

"It is time," the girl murmured.

And before Kaoru could move, before she could think, something hit the back of her neck. And, for the second time that day, she slid to the ground.

**

* * *

Author's Notes:**

**Yes, this is not the first time Soujirou and Kaoru have made out, considering the fact that they've been lovers for some time now. Their relationship is very much on the romantic side. But underneath that is a friendship that is much stronger. You might find it strange that Kaoru is so weird around Kenshin when she seems so in love with Soujirou. Well, for now, Kaoru is convinced that what she is feeling towards Kenshin is just some sort of unknown connection and she does not recognize or acknowledge it as anything beyond that, so, technically, she thinks her heart still belongs to Soujirou. I had a very difficult time writing how she would react to Kenshin. I actually had to revise it several times. This is because I didn't want to give the impression that they immediately fall in love or that Kaoru is immediately surrendering to Kenshin. I just wanted to establish a certain connection between them and there is a reason behind this connection. I hope the outcome isn't too bad. Don't forget to review.hehe**


	4. Note

* * *

Author's Notes:

Okay, this is not a new chapter and I'm so sorry for that. It's just that I know it's been a really long while since I last updated and I just wanted to give a shout out and say that I haven't died. I've revised the past three chapters of this story, but there weren't any major changes. I've also updated my other KK story and revised it as well.

I'll be updating this in hopefully a few weeks.

Tell me what you think k? Love reviews.

To those who were bored enough to read this note, thanks a bunch!

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